This invention relates generally to a new type of French fry product adapted for initial preparation by forming, optional parfrying and freezing, and for subsequent finish preparation preferably by finish frying in hot oil. More specifically, this invention relates to French fry strips formed from a corn based dough, to provide a food product having a corn snack taste in combination with an overall texture and appearance simulative of conventional potato-based French fry strips.
Potato-based French fries are widely available in the foods industry. These potato products are conventionally prepared by cutting whole potatoes into elongated strips of a desired size and shape, and then partially cooking the potato strips by blanching in hot water or steam. Thereafter, the potato strips are partially fried, or parfried, in hot cooking oil, followed by freezing for packaging, shipping and/or storage. Prior to consumption, the parfried and frozen potato strips are reconstituted or finish prepared typically by finish frying in hot oil, or by alternative finish preparation methods such as heating in a conventional or convection oven, or by heating in a microwave oven. French fried potato strips of this type are utilized extensively in a broad range of restaurant and food service operations, and are also sold extensively through retail establishments for in-home finish preparation. In the parfried and frozen state, the potato strips have a substantial moisture content on the order of about 50% to about 70% by weight, depending upon the specific strip cut size and the particular parfry processing parameters. In the finish prepared state, the French fry potato strips typically have a still-substantial moisture content on the order of about 35% to about 50% by weight.
Chip-type food products such as potato chips and corn chips and the like are also well known in the food industry for use as snack items or as a relatively informal side dish used typically with sandwiches and the like. These chip products are formed from cut raw products or from processed doughs to provide a chip of a desired size and shape, having a substantially dry character typified by a normal finished moisture content of less than about 5% by weight. This low moisture content for chip-type food products provides a significant point of differentiation from higher moisture French fried potato strip products, in terms of overall taste, texture, and related consumer perception.
While French fried potato strips and chip-type snack food products enjoy substantial consumer acceptance in their respective segments of the foods industry market, there exists an on-going demand for new and unique food products. In this regard, the present invention is directed to French fry strips formed from a corn based dough, and a related preparation process, to provide a new and unique French fry strip product having a corn chip snack taste in combination with an overall texture and appearance simulative of conventional potato-based French fry strips.
In accordance with the invention, corn based French fry strips and a related preparation process are provided, wherein the strips are prepared from a corn based dough. The corn based dough comprises a blended matrix of corn meal and corn flour having a range of different particle or granule sizes, admixed with water and optional flavoring and seasoning and conditioning ingredients to form a relatively thick dough. This corn based dough is suitably shaped as by extruding and cutting to form elongated strips having a size and shape conforming generally to conventional potato-based French fries. In one preferred process, the formed and cut corn dough strips are parfried in hot oil, and then frozen. The frozen corn strips are subsequently finished prepared for consumption, preferably by finish frying in hot oil. The finish prepared corn strips have a corn snack taste in combination with a texture defined by a crispy exterior surface encasing a moist and mealy interior.
More specifically, in one preferred form of the invention, dry ingredients for the corn based dough are preblended to include corn meal (polenta) together with relatively course corn flour (masa). To these primary constituents, additional optional flavoring and seasoning agents such as salt, sugar and flavor additives such as tortilla and jalapeno flavorings may be added in minor or trace amounts. These preblended dry ingredients are then mixed with unheated and preferably relatively cold water at a temperature of about 40-85xc2x0 F. In the wet state, water is present in a range of from about 50% to about 75% by weight, and preferably about 67-72% by weight. Corn meal (polenta) is present in the wet state in a range of from about 0% to about 15% by weight, and preferably about 2-4% by weight. Similarly, in the wet state, corn flour (masa) is present in a range of from about 10% to about 30% by weight, and preferably about 23-25% by weight.
The dry ingredients are mixed in the water while elevating the temperature to at least about 170xc2x0 F. and preferably to a temperature of about 180-185xc2x0 F., without boiling. During this mixing and heating cycle, the corn meal and corn flour constituents expand or swell to progressively increase the thickness of the resultant dough. The corn based dough is then shaped into elongated French fry strips having a cross sectional size and shape, and a distribution of strips lengths typical for French fry strips cut from raw potatoes. In a preferred process, this shaping step takes place by extruding or sheeting the dough through one or more dies of appropriate size and shape to produce elongated dough lengths or ropes which can be cut to suitable length strips. The corn dough ropes are cooled by air to achieve an internal temperature of about 70-125xc2x0 F. to reduce product stickiness while increasing product stiffness. A similar cooling step may also be used prior to extruding or sheeting of the dough. The temperature conditioned ropes are then cut into strips resembling traditional potato-based French fries.
In accordance with one preferred preparation process, these corn dough strips are then partially fried, or parfried, in hot oil at a temperature of about 300-400xc2x0 F., and preferably about 370-390xc2x0 F., for a period of about 30-150 seconds, and preferably about 40-120 seconds. In one process variation, these corn dough strips may be frozen prior to parfrying and then placed into the hot oil for parfrying while still in the frozen state. The parfried strips are removed from the frying oil and may be surface-sprayed with a light mist of water in an amount sufficient to increase the strip weight by up to about 5%, and preferably about 2-3%. The parfried corn strips are then promptly frozen at a temperature of about 0xc2x0 F. or below followed by packaging for shipment and/or storage. In the parfried and frozen state, the corn strips have a strip moisture content within a range of from about 40% to about 68% by weight, and preferably about 62% by weight.
In another preferred preparation process, the formed corn dough strips are frozen for shipment and/or storage without parfrying. In this process, the frozen corn strips have a strip moisture content within a range of from about 68% to about 74% by weight, and preferably about 72% by weight.
The frozen corn strips are subsequently finished prepared for consumption, preferably by finish frying in hot oil. Alternative finish preparation methods, particularly with respect to corn strips which have been parfried, may include heating in a conventional oven, a convection oven, or an air impingement oven. The corn strips may also be finish prepared in a microwave oven, preferably by heating the strips on a susceptor board to maintain external strip crispness. The finish prepared corn strips have a corn snack taste in combination with a texture defined by a crispy exterior surface encasing a moist and corn mealy interior. In the finish prepared state, the corn strips have a moisture content in the range of from about 30% to about 50% by weight, and preferably about 35% by weight.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description.